Faculty and Staff

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Formal Education

The University of Wisconsin - River FallsBachelor of Science – Liberal Arts in Physics 2004

The University of Texas at Austin Master of Science in Applied Physics 2007

I'm currently a geophysicist with Schlumberger. There I combine logical and creative thinking to process seismic data. It's a challenge in time management, stress management, creativity, and focus.

Teaching Experience

1.5 years teaching astronauts and flight controllers in the thermal and electrical systems on the International Space Station2.5 years experience teaching experimental physics to engineering students3 months experience teaching physical science concepts to non-science students in a logical and easily reproducible manner3 months experience mentoring and training physics tutors in effective tutoring methods9 months tutoring physics to students online from grades 9 to college freshman.

Other Work Experience

Before returning to finish my education I spent just under 2 years in the Marine Corps where I was an Aviation Ground Support Equipment electrician. While my time in the Corps didn't work out as I expected, I'm still very proud of being a Marine. What I learned by becoming a Marine has been invaluable in my life and Jedi path.

Martial Arts Experience

I first started taking American Karate when I was 8. I took to it quite naturally, earning my black belt at age 13. I taught classes while continuing my training until I left for college at 18. When I returned to college I started Shotokan Karate, as I wanted the more traditional style of training lacking in American Karate. While not self defense related, I learned a lot about posture and power. Shotokan teaches a person how to maximize the power their body produces, which was quite interesting.

At this point in my life, my spirituality was growing and changing so that I found the hard styles of martial arts less appealing. I took a short 3 week course in Aikido for self defense and found it quite interesting. During my final year of graduate school I finally began training in Seidokan Aikido and really enjoyed it. I trained for about a year, learning a lot even though I couldn't train consistently due to my schedule.

Currently I'm without a style due to the constraints in my life. I know I won't be gone from martial arts for long, however, as they are interesting to me and support balance in my life.

My Jedi Path

I first found the Jedi path in 1996, while still in high school. Unfortunately there wasn't a Jedi Realism presence, just role playing that I found. I spent some time learning proper breathing and chatting with someone who helped me learn to view the world a bit differently before leaving for college. I returned to the Jedi path in 2002 after an eye opening field trip. I wandered a round for a bit, discovering there was a vast difference between what I thought people would know and what they actually knew. However, I quickly found a mentor who remains a friend today who provided a lot of crucial information in that first year or so. I also spent time training at the Jedi Temple under Chris-tien Jinn, who runs the Blue Group here. (It's nice when things come full circle!) I also trained at Fatum Operandi and the Jedi Academy. Eventually I found myself becoming a counselor at the Jedi Academy, and then the Jedi Realist Academy. I returned to the Jedi Academy a few years later (around 2006), first running the Solo and Traditional training, and eventually becoming Principal, which I serve as today.

In my private training I focus on many areas. My biggest area of study and growth has been spiritual, which has allowed an immense amount of growth in a relatively short amount of time. I also work with energy, meditation, and healing though never with the consistency it truly requires. In the end, I know a bit about a lot of things and am working on deepening my understanding of other areas.

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Formal Education

- Bachelor of Science, major in Microbiology, minor in Chemistry from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2002- Master of Divinity, focus in education and youth, from Chicago Theological Seminary, 2005

Work Experience

I currently work as an afterschool instructor with a non-profit in Chicago. I run the Science Club and tutor elementary-age students.

Prior, I worked in various capacities in youth programs. I served as the Director of Christian Education in a church in the western suburbs of Chicago. I coordinated the Sunday school program, Confirmation, planned special children’s events, and provided support for youth ministries. Before that, I was the Youth Minister for a small church focusing on revitalizing the church life.

Martial Arts Experience

I have been doing Tai Chi for over 6 years. I am in my third year of learning in Chikara Bodukai which is strongly influence by Jiu Justu.

General Information

In addition to my offline and online jobs, I am also an apprenticeship program to become a shaman. The rituals and actions primarily stem from Peru but other indigenous tribes are also incorporated as the Spirit allows.

I come from a long line of psychics. We each manifest the gift differently and at various levels. Some see spirits, others have visions, some heal, while others can work with energy. I have found that I am a "crystal" which means that I am empathic and can enhance the abilities of others.

Jedi Community

I have been involved with the Jedi Community for quite some time, over a decade. I began my training with the Jedi Academy (now the IJRS) which quickly became my home. I worked my way up to be an instructor and eventually became the principal. However, I took a step back to focus on teaching and allow others the opportunity to be principal.

I became involved with the Jedi Resource Center (JRC) and attended many Gatherings since 2005. At the encouragement of Moonshadow, I applied to be a Chapter Leader and now have a thriving Jedi Chapter in Illinois.

I have worked at the same place for the past 5 years now, Pump It Up. It was my first and basically only job since I could work. I have climbed the corporate ladder there, so to speak. I am currently the General Manager at our location. From this job, I’ve learned organizational skills, leadership, time management, customer service, and even how to grow as a Jedi. I hope to use this work experience to benefit the online community.

My Jedi Path

I have been on the path for almost 7 years now. The IJRS (and its predecessor’s names) has been my home this entire time. I’ve been both a student and an assistant teacher. This path has been my life line ever since I discovered it and continues to be so. I have learned how to face my fears, create my own spirituality, and developed what I believe to be the archetype of a Soul Warrior. As a Soul Warrior, I'm very focused on expanding my own understanding of this path, while also helping to create a foundation for not only the IJRS, but for the community as a whole. I've been a part of a couple Jedi Gatherings, where I have met, in person, many of the faculty and students that participate on these forums. For much of the past few years, this has been my extended family.

I've been involved with teaching on this path, as well as a guidance counselor and kind of helping behind the scenes. As of 2012 I took on the role as Assistant Principal to help with more of the leadership with in the IJRS. I'm hoping to continue contributing to the foundation of this site so that we can create a brighter future for the Jedi Path.

I hope to have courses in negotiation and conflict resolution available in the near future.

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Formal Education

B.A. English, Washington State University, 2001

J.D., University of Idaho, 2005

Teaching Experience

Two years teaching business law at the college level

One year as a teaching assistant for legal research and writing during law school

Two years as a writing tutor and one year as a math tutor during my undergrad years

I have also put together and run a number of educational seminars to walk low-income populations through common pro se legal actions. Realistically, though, both of my jobs involve a lot of training and teaching on a daily basis.

Work Experience

I am an attorney with a practice focused on indigent criminal defense and a small amount of family law. Since I became a Jedi, my Path has also led me to volunteer as an emergency medical technician.

Before I went back to school for my law degree, I held a number of jobs: bartender, waiter, bouncer, private investigator, nursing assistant, financial analyst. Most of my twenties I spent as a professional musician (and I still gig frequently with my bar band).

Martial Arts Experience

I fell in love with Japanese martial arts at about age eight. I didn’t find a school until I was 13, when I started studying tae kwon do, but that only lasted until I was 15 because of shuttling between parents’ homes. At 18, I started working private investigations and security, so I trained over the years with firearms, a number of nonlethal weapons, and unarmed self-defense. The last few years, I have returned to traditional martial arts, studying goju ryu karate at a very good school along with my sons.

My Jedi Path

I suppose my first experience with the Path was when I discovered The Dharma of Star Wars about ten years ago. It reawakened my fascination with Eastern philosophy. But I was completely unaware of the online communities until about 2010. My boys, who were about 7 and 5 at the time, had discovered Star Wars for themselves, and while researching a question for them, I happened across the IJRS. I’ve been here ever since.

The Institute was my first praxeum and will always be my online training home, but I also study (with fluctuating levels of diligence) at Temple of the Jedi Order, and I was formerly a student of the Light Aspect at Force Academy until my forum account went up in electronic smoke.

I am working on blazing a trail for the Institute’s Jedi Diplomat track, and my daily life involves communication, persuasion, and conflict resolution. My Knighthood project therefore is focused on developing new advanced Comm training in these areas, which I hope to share with the community as they are completed.

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Formal Education:

“Höhere Technische Lehranstalt” – Salzburg

School leaving exam with a major in architecture and building side management

University of Applied Science – Munich

Diploma with a major in Aerospace design and a minor in CFRP

Internationale Feng Shui Akademie – Bad Homburg

Certified Feng Shui Consultant

Teaching Experience:

Bujinkan Sempai/Tutor since 2001

IJRS Warrior and Introduction class instructor since 2002

Work Experience:

After my military service, which ended in May 1999, I worked for two and bit years as a building side manager for an architect office. My major responsibilities back at that time had been supervising the various building sides, working on detail plans and at side problems, checking of bills and offers and dealing with the rectification of deficiencies.

Then I decided to study at the University of Applied Science which I did from 2001 till 2006.

After the University I first worked as a design engineer for an engineering office from 2006 till 2008. During this time I did a lot of different projects with different tasks involved including also a lot of travelling. This early work as a design engineer for Aerospace parts taught me a lot.

At the beginning of 2009 I joined the company I’m currently working for. I’m still a design engineer but now mainly set for a single project with the task to reinforce other teams when needed and my expertises are of use.

Martial Arts Experience:

At the age of about 14 my mother sent me to a local Shotokan Karate Club. I trained there for a couple of years and even made it into the fighting cadre/squad.

Through Karate I got interested in martial arts in general and that caused me to search for other martial arts which would complement Karate as this art does mainly deal with punching and kicking.

So I started to learn Aikido as well and trained it for a couple of years, first in parallel to Karate and then later only Aikido.

But still I haven’t been satisfied with the practical application of what I learned at the Dojo which made me searching for more.

Therefore I visited first a class for Tai Chi Chuan at the adult education centre and after this class joined those teachers direct class for a couple of years. During this time I also got in touch with Qi-Gong.

Later I had the chance to study Shaolin Kung-Fu under the guidance of another teacher. But this had been only for roughly about two years.

Finally I found Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu/Ninjutsu which is a so called Ko Ryu or old style martial art. I’m studying Bujinkan now since around the year 2000 and do hold now a 4th Dan black belt.

At the beginning of the year 2014 I found a Chen Tai Chi Chuan master close to my apartment and joined his class.

These days I do a morning routine of stretching and Qi-Gong nearly every morning. Beside that I visit the Dojo for Bujinkan training two times a week and the class of my Tai Chi Chuan master for another two times. In addition I do solo training as often as possible especially on the weekends whereat I do a extended martial arts in the morning meaning not only stretching and Qi-Gong but also Bujinkan and Tai Chi Chuan.

My Jedi Path:

Years ago I have heard on a local radio station about the real life Jedi and the online community. So I started to search and found my first information on the “The Jedi Creed”. I read through all texts there and made it a kind of self-study.

After this it took two or three years before I became a member of the online community.

I started my active path at "The Jedi". This was sometime around 2002. After the faculty was shut down I followed some of the guys to the JRA-Side/-Forum. After some ups and downs this online training platform finally closed its doors. This had been then the time when I joined the IJRS.

Now I do study and guide people through the named courses at the IJRS.

The path of Jedi Realist I do follow now since the year 2002.

At the end of the year 2011 I asked Jax if I would be accepted as instructor for the Warrior course and she accepted my application. I also was warmly welcomed by the other staff members and since then I have now the honour to guide people through the Introductory Course as well as through the Warrior classes.

General Information:

Beside these three major parts in my life (IJRS, martial arts and work) I focus my personal education on improving myself by studying about the various philosophies and other self-improving stuff.

Now I do study about Feng Shui and other Chinese ancient knowledge which are linked to that namely the teachings of the five elements, acupressure and traditional Chinese medicine.

In addition my interests are in general technical and/or sport based. I like to design, build and ‘ply’ with radio controlled aeroplanes and sail boats. I do like horseback riding, archery and hiking.

On the more intellectual side I’m interested medieval history of Europe and Japan and I do like reading books which deal either with the topics named before or high fantasy ala J. R. R. Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” or the new novel by G. R. R. Martin “Game of Thrones”.